Lapse in car insurance

[NYCMustachian]

I just sold my car and contacted my car insurance company to cancel my insurance. They advised against canceling it entirely because any break in my insurance coverage would make my rates go up in the future if I ever get insurance again. If I suspend it there will be no break and I would be charged about $60/year.

Not sure if he is just trying to get me to spend more money or not. My husband has a car that we use and that is insured.

[Telecaster]

Sadly, he is probably right.   Insurance  companies really don't like the lapse in coverage thing.   I have been able to skate around it in times past by saying stuff like I was rebuilding the engine (which was basically true) and so the car wasn't on the road.   Sometimes they buy it, sometimes they don't. 

[Sibley]

Can you get added as a driver on your husband's policy?

[Car Jack]

What a bunch of baloney.

(I've taken cars off the road and off insurance over the winter many, many times.  When put back on the road, it's an older car and the rates have always, every time, without fail been lower)

[NYCMustachian]

Can you get added as a driver on your husband's policy?

Good question! I'll look into it

[KarefulKactus15]

Can you get added as a driver on your husband's policy?

This seems like the correct course of action since I assume you will be driving the car lol

Dont let the insurance talk you into paying for insurance you dont use or placing it on "inactive" status. 

[Cassie]

WE take our RV off the road each winter and as long as you turn in the plates before you cancel the insurance you don't have a problem. I would not suspend.

[beege]

Doh I didn't realize you could suspend insurance! We just sold out last car and want to try living without a car for the next year. I called up Geico and asked about non-onwer policies but they quoted me a rate that was higher (for just me alone) than our policy had been for my fiance and I on our 2000 golf. They didn't mention anything about suspending but at $60/yr I might have gone for it (the non-onwer policies were quoted at about $800/yr for the two if us combined). I guess it's too late now. Been without insurance for a week.

[Tris Prior]

He's right. I cancelled mine when I sold my car and decided to go car-free - it seemed stupid to pay for insurance on a car I no longer owned. I mean, what exactly would I be insuring? I was not offered the option to suspend it; I didn't know that was a thing. If I had I would've asked about it, though at the time I did not plan on ever getting a car again so I'm not sure I would've found it worthwhile.

Then when Boyfriend moved up here with his car, we wanted to add me onto his insurance and I don't remember the exact number - this was 12 years ago - but it was pretty obscene. Because of my lack of current insurance.

[Northwoods]

We went down to one car for a period of 18 months. With the nature of DH's business we needed a commercial policy on that vehicle. When we went back to two cars and went to put a personal policy back on that vehicle we had to jump through many hoops to prove that we had indeed been insured for that time. Seems the commercial policy didn't "count" as continually insured and they tried to tell us we had a lapse.

So yes, the info he is giving you seems accurate.